SMILE!!

Kim Beom’s Interview

In his interview with ISplus (reporter Lee Dong Hyun) published on March 16, Kim Beom reveals that work is more important than dating for now.

ISplus (IS): You seem like you would be a playboy like Boys Over Flowers‘ So Yi Jeong.

Kim Beom (KB): Thank you for the compliment, but we’re actually quite different. Due to my extreme shyness, I can’t get along with people that easily, let alone have the skill to seduce women. Although, I do have some characteristics similar to So Yi Jeong such as being cool-headed, not showing my inner feelings easily, etc. Come to think of it, when I was young, many girls my age used to follow me around a lot. (Laughs.)
IS: Have you ever had a girlfriend?KB: Up til now, I have never had a girlfriend. I’ve always been very preoccupied with something, so it seems that my mind hasn’t been free to have a girlfriend. I don’t think I’ll that freedom for some time to come.

IS: Are you sure you aren’t like So Yi Jeong who is a playboy, but has blocked off his heart from women with an emotional wall?

KB: Come to think of it, that could be true too. However, Yi Jung developed that attitude due to his playboy father. I am like this because I am devoted to work, which thus far has more value and importance than a girlfriend. Still, I have a lot of female friends such as Boys Over Flowers‘ (Ga Eul) Kim So Eun, Park Shin Hye, and Go Ara, etc. that I get along well with. (KP’s note: All three actresses are his classmates in Chung-Ang University’s Theatre & Film program.)
IS: If you get a girlfriend, what kind of present would you most want?

KB: I’d like to receive a meal (lunch box) made directly by her. With a busy filming schedule, I skip meals often. At such times, if I could eat a homemade meal by my girlfriend, I think it would spring forth energy (strength) that wasn’t there.

IS: Who is number 1 on your cellular phone speed dial?

KB: The agency representative and hyung that I trust and depend on the most. There are many things to discuss (consult) with him, so I put him as speed dial number 1 in order to speak on the phone with him often. Even if I do get a girlfriend, I don’t think I will change my speed dial number 1.

IS: What will you do if your parents oppose your marriage like Boys Over Flowers’ Gu Jun Pyo?

KB: If I love [that person] to the point of wanting to get married but can’t due to the opposition of those around me, I would regret it forever. I would [try to] persuade them again and again until they give me permission. I have lived with such integrity that my parents have remarkable faith in me. They will accept my wish.
IS: What is your life motto?

KB: “You may lose once, but don’t lose again.” As you live life, you can encounter failures and you can make mistakes. I don’t want to suffer the same setback by making the same mistake again. [The motto means that] although a person cannot be perfect, one should try his or her best in order to get closer to perfection.
IS: When was the greatest crisis [you’ve faced] in life so far?

KB: I don’t consider a crisis you cannot overcome as a crisis. Although I’ve had trivial cases that were difficult, I’ve overcome them. I don’t think that I’ve experienced any extraordinary crisis.

IS: If you became a chaebol (plutocrat) like in Boys Over Flowers, what would you most want to do?

KB: I don’t want to become a chaebol. I want to always have dreams and put in intense effort in order to achieve those dreams. I think if I become a chaebol, I might become indolent (lazy) and lose sight of my dreams.
IS: Which websites do you have bookmarked?

KB: Portal sites such as Daum and Naver. I can come by a variety of information such as news in a short amounth of time.

IS: Do you read internet comments [regarding yourself] and take them seriously? Is there a negative comment that remains on your mind?

KB: There was a time at the beginning of my debut when I agonized over negative comments that I don’t even want to recall now. After that, I made up my mind not to pay attention to negative internet comments. I usually don’t read those kinds of comments, but there doesn’t seem to be a lot.

IS: Have you ever left a comment (reply) on the Internet?

KB: There hasn’t a single time when I have added a reply.

IS: What are some objects that you always carry around in your bag?

KB: My cellphone and wallet. I only put things that I absolutely need in my bag.

IS: How do you manage your income and how much allowance do you [get and] spend?

KB: I manage my own income so there’s no separate allowance. Truthfully, lately I haven’t even had time to spend money.

IS: Do you have any superstitions or customs?

KB: I can’t sleep before the first day of filming. I go to set after staying up all night. But I act better because my mind has become clearer. From a certain point in time, I decided not to sleep. However, there is the disadvantage of my physical condition being worse.

IS: What method do you use to relieve extreme stress?

KB: I meet up with cheerful people. Although I’m on the quiet side, I find that stress is relieved as I laugh when absorbed in pleasant conversations with pleasant people.

IS: Do you have any sleeping habits?

KB: I wouldn’t k now my own sleeping habits. People who have slept with me on vacation haven’t said anything in particular about it.

IS: Which athlete do you like the most?

KB: Manchester United’s Cristiano Ronaldo. He plays the kind of soccer that I dreamt about when I was a soccer player in middle school.

IS: Which three objects would you take with you if you had to be stuck on a deserted island?

KB: A [handheld] video game console, a DVD player, and also a cellphone. If I watched movies on the DVD player and play video games in between, I think it would be enjoyable even on a deserted island. I would need the cellular phone to request aid (a rescue) when I get bored. Does a cellphone work on a deserted island, you ask? I saw a commercial awhile ago where jjajangmyun (black bean noodles) was even ordered for delivery using a cellphone.

IS: If you were given a perfectly [schedule-]free day, what would you want to do?

KB: No matter how leisurely the one day is, wouldn’t the next day be busy? In order to prepare [for the following day], it probably won’t be completely free. I would want to just go somewhere nearby and get some fresh air and cool my head (mind) for a bit.